"It's not the 60's no
more" No kidding. In fact, it is anything but the time
we grew up in. This Bad Seeds music is not the music we
performed in the 1960's, but it addresses how good we had it and
perhaps didn't know it.

This one is the all
important love song. Remember when the Bad Seeds played the "slow"
songs, most of us looked for the darker places of the Hermann Sons
hall, to dance very close. I don't think we thought it was "dirty,"
although I'm not really sure it was only dancing.

"We always start at the Crossroads."
Remember those places you could go to get beer when we were too
young. There weren't many, but we knew them all.
Then there are the technical details..., As musicians we have been told
repeatedly..., there are no existing blues songs with 4 bars. [Then,
we must explain] This song was originally titled 12 bar blues, but we could only remember 4 bars that would sell
beer / alcohol (to us).

Remember January 31, 1968?
[some of the guys should]. It was the Tet offensive, and the single most defining moment for the Bad Seeds Band.
We didn't know it then but, within the year, half the band would be serving in the military, and the Bad Seeds would not play together again until Easter 2000.

"Relationships" in our
younger days were (I think) more simple. Trying to decide if
you wanted to continue "going with" someone was a matter of staying
in the vehicle or leaving. That idea is "current" today when
trying to decide about on-going relationships..., to continue or to
get out? You really never know [for sure] until much later.

This track is best
labeled the Bad Seeds "pro-war / protest song." The drill
sergeant barked at the private [in week 3] of basic training.
"What are you-u-u...? [the drill sergeant barked]. There were
several attempts to answer his curious question. One guy said
"I'm a mean green fighting machine." NO-o-o you're not [the
drill sergeant barked]. Another soldier said, "I'm a bad ass,
drill sergeant." "NO-o-o you're not," [the drill sergeant
barked]. Then the drill sergeant (spitting and screaming) at
the guy next to me. "What-t are you..." The soldier braced
himself (and with the most intense delivery) said; "I'm a Mad Dog
Killer, drill sergeant." The drill sergeant collects himself
and says: "That's right." He takes one step back, then asks
our platoon, "how about you men...," "what are you-u-u." That
day, (and for the rest of our 8 weeks of training), we were all Mad
Dog Killers.

This song may be a
BadSeeds
anthem. Have you ever had a job you absolutely hated?
I think we have all had that experience. Well, this music
tries to address how we have all felt at one time or another.

In
every town [back then] there was an "after hours" place that people go. It
was absolutely forbidden to Bo's Place, so I suppose that is why it
was so cool. The other important thing about this song is -
it is the only song that has both Moody and Crawford, TX in the lyrics.